Even though these bowls are great for the population as a whole, sweet potatoes hold special benefits for athletes. They are loaded with vitamins C and A which keep the immune system working flawlessly and support all other organs in the process. Sweet potatoes also hold tons of anti inflammatory properties which are key in keeping an athlete healthy. Both in and off-season, sweet potatoes can help prevent non-contact injuries, muscle fatigue and overall soreness—all keys for a successful sport's year.

Here are four examples of sweet potato breakfast bowls you can make yourself:

Maple Walnut Sweet Potato Bowl

This is my go-to when making sweet potato bowls. Simply bake the sweet potato until soft and use that as your base. Drizzle on pure maple syrup and top with walnuts and you have a sweet-as-pie treat that is all natural and made from all whole foods.

Protein Sweet Potato Puree

This is the perfect post-game or workout meal option that is quick and extremely tasty. Take some already baked sweet potatoes and mash them together with your favorite protein powder; my go-to is vanilla. This will create a cookie-dough-like flavor that you can eat on its own, or you can add a splash of liquid to create a puree base.

Peanut Butter Cup Sweet Potatoes

That protein puree you made above? Do that again. This time, when you create the "cookie dough" texture, gently stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons of all natural peanut butter and a half cup of dark chocolate chips. This is basically like eating chocolate chip cookie dough, but with all the added protein and healthy carbohydrate benefits.

Honestly, these are just my go-to options, but you can create them to your liking with the toppings of your choice. Since sweet potatoes help maintain blood sugar, I don't mind adding in the pure maple syrup and use that to sweeten the bowl up. I find that nut butters, maple, and dark chocolate go really well with sweet potato and I'll even occasionally slice up a banana and throw it on top as a pre-workout meal.

When you bake the sweet potato, peel and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. This may seem like a long time, but if you bake 5 or 6 at a time you'll have enough for the week. Check in for more recipes like these!

Jeremy Dupont
- Jeremy DuPont is a personal trainer, nutrition specialist and wellness coach at Cabral Wellness Institute in Boston. He hold a Bachelor's degree in Applied Exercise Science from the University of New England, and he is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer th
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